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Fort Kid Slope Repair
Background
Located between the Fort Sanders neighborhood and the Knoxville Museum of Art, Fort Kid Playground was built in 1991 by volunteers as part of the City of Knoxville’s Bicentennial Celebration. In 2018 visible deterioration of the wooden retaining wall that supports the playground prompted a structural assessment by an engineer. The photo at right shows examples of the issues noted in 2018.
Project Description
Phase 1, managed by the Public Building Authority, will remove the retaining wall that supports the Fort Kid Playground along World’s Fair Park Drive and restore an open hillside slope. Engineering has determined that this work will necessitate removal of the playground equipment for both the safety of workers and the roadway/sidewalks below the wall.
The diagram below shows the new hillside and the flat area available for a potential new play structure. Phase 2, managed by the City of Knoxville and it’s partners is expected to build a new playground. See the Fort Kid website for more info.
Phase 2 -- New Playground Structures (Projected)
Mon, Aug 3, 2020, 7:00 AM to Wed, Mar 31, 202 15:00 PM
This work will be completed by the City of Knoxville and it’s partners. See the City’s Fort Kid page for more information.
Public Meeting
Thursday, July 16, 2020, 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM
The next milestone in rebuilding a safer and more accessible Fort Kid will come on Thursday, July 16, 2020, when the City, PBA and Hedstrom Landscape Architects will unveil schematic drawings for a proposed new Fort Kid. The public meeting will be held from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Civic Auditorium.
COVID-19 safeguards at the public meeting will be enforced: Wearing a mask and physical distancing (staying 6 feet apart) will be mandatory.
Community Television of Knoxville will also be live-streaming the public meeting. Go to www.ctvknox.org or watch on television: Xfinity (Comcast) – Channel 12; Charter (Spectrum) – Channel 193; WOW! (Knology) – Channel 6; or AT&T U-verse – Channel 99.
The presentation from the July 16 public meeting and renderings of the schematic drawings will be posted after the meeting at www.knoxvilletn.gov/fortkid.
At the last public meeting on Fort Kid on March 12 at the Knoxville Museum of Art, attendees were shown images from existing playgrounds in other cities as possible inspiration for what an upgraded Fort Kid might look like. At that time, a community survey was initiated, asking about color scheme preferences and which elements and play activities are most valued.
“We were pleased to have nearly 400 people complete the survey, and the responses have helped guide the design process,” Deputy Chief Operating Officer Chip Barry said.
Additional feedback from the upcoming July 16 public meeting will be considered as Fort Kid plans are finalized and construction gets underway. Comments also can be made through the City Communications Department by emailing communications@knoxvilletn.gov.
The architects are designing the new Fort Kid play structure to be more inclusive, allowing more people to enjoy creative play at the park.
The City anticipates reopening Fort Kid in spring 2021.
The 30-year-old Fort Kid play structure was removed to complete the demolition and removal of a decaying retaining wall and bad soils causing safety issues. A new grassy slope has been completed and provides unique design opportunities for a better connection between Fort Sanders, Fort Kid and the Knoxville Museum of Art.
The City of Knoxville designated $300,000 to prepare the site for a new, more inclusive Fort Kid play structure. Old City business owner Thomas Boyd, who has fond memories from his childhood of playing at Fort Kid, has donated $200,000 to the project.
For more details, visit www.knoxvilletn.gov/fortkid.
Hardscape Installation
Mon, Jun 22, 2020, 7:00 AM to Sun, Jul 19, 2020, 5:00 PM
Site Stabilization
Mon, May 18, 2020, 7:00 AM to Sun, Jul 5, 2020, 5:00 PM
Phase 1 -- Wall Demolition and Slope Restoration
Mon, May 4, 2020, 7:00 AM to Sun, May 31, 2020 5:00 PM
Utility Coordination
Mon, Apr 27, 2020, 7:00 AM to Sun, May 3, 2020, 5:00 PM
Construction Mobilization
Mon, Apr 20, 2020, 7:00 AM to Sun, Apr 26, 2020, 5:00 PM
Site Preparation
Mon, Apr 6, 2020, 7:00 AM to Sun, Apr 12, 2020, 8:00 AM
Fort Kid closed to the public Monday, April 6th to allow the City of Knoxville to salvage the commercial site and play elements on site for potential reuse. The project’s construction management firm-P&C Construction-then began installing temporary fencing and erosion control the week of April 20th. Demolition of the failing retaining wall and rough grading of the slope was completed by early May with sidewalks and landscaping completed in June.
Progress photos tab shows the work to date. The City of Knoxville is now working on design and construction of the new playground and accessible hillside connector. For more information on the City’s work, check out the Fort Kid website.
Current Impacts
Playground Closure: Fort Kid will closes Monday, April 6th as crews began mobilization on this project and removal of the current playground in preparation to remove the retaining wall. Information on alternate playground options throughout the city can be found on the City of Knoxville’s Playground page. A new playground is currently being designed. For more information see the City of Knoxville’s Fort Kid page.
